Thomas Kratz, Wie ich dem toten Hasen die Bilder erkläre (How I explain pictures to a dead hare)
Performance 15th March 2006 at 22h00.
Thomas Kratz works across different media, playing with the iconography of art in an often visceral manner. The artist's performance as part of Nought to Sixty, Strawberry Camouflage, refers to Joseph Beuys's How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare (1965), and Kratz's surreal action uses Beuysian materials as the basis for a contemporary tribalistic ritual.
Thomas Kratz is wearing a Beuys-themed tracksuit designed by Lara Torres. The suit was developed based on the iconic image of Joseph BeuysLa Rivoluzione Siamo Noi (1972). The title of this print translates as 'We are the Revolution'. Beuys presents a strong image of himself striding towards the viewer in a confrontational way, as if ready for action himself and encouraging us to join him. This work is even more striking when seen in real life, as it is nearly two metres tall so the artist appears life-size and as if poised to step out of the image [for more info see Tate]. Based on a similar idea Lara's Beuys Costume reproduces the original image in a life-size photocopy of the original Beuys onto Thomas's tracksuit.
Thomas Kratz, Wie ich dem toten Hasen die Bilder erkläre (How I explain pictures to a dead hare), 2008. Performance presented 30 June 2008 as Part of Nought to Sixty at ICA, London